One Fine Day
by calicoskies4ever
Summary: Clark and Brainiac are former lovers with difficult decisions to make. Clark let’s Fine heal himself and they make love one last time. Afterwards Fine gives Clark three choices. Each chapter shows how the world will be depend on the choice Clark makes. AU
1. Chapter 1

One Fine Day: A story about Clark and Milton Fine (Brainiac) two former lovers who have difficult descions to make

One Fine Day: A story about Clark and Milton Fine (Brainiac) two former lovers who have difficult decisions to make. It's not a sequel to He's So Fine, but you might want to read that if you like this one. This is a Clark/Brainiac, Lex/Clark and Lex/Brainiac story, with some non-con later on. Rather than killing Fine when he is weakened and already dying, Clark gives him the chance to get better, and they make love one last time. When it's over, Milt-Fine (the Kryptonian name I gave to Brainiac in the other story) gives Clark three choices. Each of the following chapters shows how the world will be depending on whatever choice Clark makes.

"And I don't know how a man decides  
what's right for his own life.  
It's all a mystery.  
'Because I'm a man, not a boy,  
and there are things you can't avoid.  
You have to face them,  
when you're not prepared to face them.  
If I could, I would,  
but you're with him, now it'd do no good.  
I should've fought him,  
but instead I let him,  
I let him take it," The Flaming Lips.

"I'm in control now, and you will release Chloe! You will release Lana!" I shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders, and trying as hard as I could not to drop to my knees and… Fine—Brainiac—whoever, laughed, his hand reaching out to touch my face, but I pushed it away, quickly, reminding myself over and over that I had to save my friends even if it meant hurting _him_.

"The only way to free them would be for you to kill me, now, in cold blood, which goes against everything you stand for. You could never deliberately take another man's life." He touched me again, grabbing my hair and pulling me into a deep kiss. "And you know that you could never be truly happy anywhere except by my side."

"How can we be together after everything you've done? You tried to kill me. You're trying to control me, and—you—almost destroyed my home—my second home. What exactly do you expect me to do right now?"

"The entire Earth needn't be destroyed, and I—I don't want to control you Kal-el. I offer you the chance to be a god to these people. Join me, and rule at my side. Together we can make this world into the paradise Krypton should have become."

"You're not a man; you're not even Kryptonian! You won't be happy sharing the throne with me, I'll end up buried in your back up or tied to bed in a dungeon full of meteor rocks," I sobbed, but it was nearly impossible to say no, and I knew what would happen if Milt asked me again.

"I would never harm you, Kal-el, not unless it was an absolute necessity. Going home to kill you was the most painful—decisions of my life, but I hoped you would return, try to stop me. It was also my hope that you would come here tonight. Please, Kal-el. I will let you're friends go. I will do whatever you want."

"Why are you begging me?" I asked, confused as Hell. Milt was sweaty, weak, smiling at me, and my mind, body, and soul were torn in two different directions. Part of me wanted to kill him, end this, save my ass, but at the same time, all I could think about were the things we had in common, the time we spent together, how his body and mine fit perfectly together. _I love this man. I can't kill him_, I'd think. Then my mind would scream, _he's not a man. If you don't destroy it, this monster will not hesitate to control and hurt you!_

"I need you, Kal-el. The two of us are perfect together, and in time you will see that these animals need a gentle hand to keep them from blowing each other up," he promised, running a hand over my hips. "You are so beautiful. Don't make me hurt you."

"Your people—Zod's people—already ruined one planet. Don't do it again. These people don't deserve that. I will protect them from nay threat, even you if I've gotta. I don't want to, but this is what I have to dol." Fine touched me again, cupping my ass this time, dragging our bodies to the ground, his cock starting to get hard.

"You won't kill me, not while I'm still weak like this. It's not what you consider to be fair. Now, either let me go or help me out."

"I'll make you strong, and then kill you," I explained, trying to convince myself that I could actually do it. I think he knew it too, and as we made love, sparks were literally flying all around us.

"Now isn't this so much more fun than fighting?" he asked, gently running his fingers through my hair. "You are so incredibly beautiful, Kal-el. I'm only going to make this offer one last time. Luthor is at your fortress right now. We can do any number of things. Either I can take you up there and let him do what he wants to you—which could be quite fun—" Milt said with a small chuckle. "Or I can take you there and help you explain everything, because Lex would be an extremely powerful ally on our team, or we go there and we kill him."

"Milt, I can't," he interrupted me, not with words, but by rolling me over and holding my body down with his strong, powerful arms. He wouldn't actually hurt me like that, unless he was certain that I was going to try and stop him. If I agreed to either one of his last two plans, Fin would never lay a hand on me, unless I became useless. He loved me, or at least he came as close to loving me as a robot could get. I loved him, that much I was sure how.

"Come on, Kal-el. Don't make me do this. I would hate to hurt you, Kal-el. Even worse would be handing you over to Lex. You can help him, heal him. I know that's what you want. You love Lex Luthor too, and I'm—it's okay, Kal-el. When we're in charge no one will question it, and I certainly won't mind. I love you, and want you to be happy."

"But I—we'll be... You want us to be dictators!"

"Benevolent. That is necessary. Democracy doesn't work. Nothing these humans do works," he explained, and as much as I agreed, I couldn't bare to say so. "I know you agree, Kal-el. We won't have to hurt many people. The idea is to show everyone what we _can_ do, so that we won't have to actually do it.

"You're gonna make me be a part of this no mater what I say, aren't you?" I asked, rolling over again so that, at least for a short while, I could show my strength and be in control.

"I have to, Kal-el. I need you even more than I need Lex Luthor. He's as close to human as any of us will get, and therefore, the only one they will ever trust. However, you are stronger than me, stronger than I could ever be, and you can help him, make him happy. Now, Kal-el, what is it going to be? Are you with me or against me?"

"Well," I paused, clutching my head in my hands, unsure of how exactly I should respond. I needed more time to think. I needed…I just couldn't decide what to do. I loved him; I really did, but...


	2. Chapter 2

AN: so this is the chapter with some non-con, but mostly it's just mentioned but doesn't go into much detail. Clark says no to Brainiac and so he and Lex take control of the traveler. Alternate ending to and spoilers for Arctic.

"You've treated me like I'm a worthless piece of shit.  
You think you're in control but you make me sick.  
I want to watch you suffer.  
The way that you made me suffer.  
I want to fuck up everything you've ever loved.  
But I won't become the thing I hate...  
I won't become the thing I hate...  
I wont become you," Stabbing Westward.

As much as I loved the guy, as much as I wanted to be with him, I knew that I couldn't do what he wanted. Brainiac was asking me to help him take over the world. What did he expect me to say? _Okay, Milt, I'll help you destroy Earth without ever saying a word about it._ No, he knew what would happen and played me, used me, made me help him to get strong and then did this.

I knew not to fight, all I could do was lay there shaking my head, and crying. He looked at me for a long time and then sighed loudly. It was too late to come up with any sort of a plan and so I just lay still while he did what he wanted to me and then slapped on a pair of Kryptonite handcuffs, even though we both knew that I wouldn't run away or anything. We got to the Fortress so fast it made my head spin, or maybe that was the cuffs.

What are you doing here?" Lex asked Brainiac, staring at him coldly, his eyes running over _my_ body like I was something very dirty, that he wanted to destroy, now.

"I've brought you a gift. Once you use the device; this will officially belong to you, Mr. Luthor. I captured him, but there wasn't—I wasn't there in time. Kara is dead. This _thing_ killed her."

"That's a lie," I screamed, not that I expected Lex to believe me. His eyes narrowed, and he flushed bright red, punching me in the balls, as hard as he possibly could. I fell to my knees, clutching my groin.

"Shut up!' he cried. "How could you do it? Jesus, Clark—what do I—what do I do with him now?" Lex asked, looking up at Milt like he was a teacher or a parent. Then again the guy is a gigantic super computer who knows everything, and Lex knew that. So he went from hating and being afraid of the guy to admiring him in less than a minute.

"In certain Earth cultures it is customary to inspect or often try out—a gift when it is first received. If you want, I can step outside while you stake your claim." I had to hand it to Fine; he knew exactly how to break my spirit. Lex and I were together for years, but we never actually had sex. That's part of the reason that he went out with Lana right after she and I broke up. He wanted to go where I had been, do who I had done. And he wanted to make me jealous.

"Are you suggesting that I—with this monster? He shrieked but Lex wasn't nearly as disgusted as he pretended to be. He walked over to my side and reached out, poking me in the ribcage. "This isn't a setup is it? You're gonna walk outside and he's going to rip me apart, no?"

"Absolutely not," Fine promised. "Kal-el is completely harmless with those rocks—Kryptonite nearby. Besides, you activated the globe," he said with a smile. "He—_it_ is officially yours. Make him do whatever you want. Here, use this ring. Then I can remove its handcuffs, but the alien won't be able to hurt you, not now, not ever again. You have the power to control him in whichever way you see fit."

"What do we do after I—finish inspecting him?" Lex asked. "How do I protect the rest of the world from this—disgusting, alien scumbag?"

"Leave that to me, Sir. And, if you will let me, I'll help you make this world into the paradise it ought to be," Brainiac promised, and then turned around, a huge smile on his face too.

"Lex, please," I whimpered, my body aching and quaking. I could hardly breathe and despite the cold, was drenched in a heavy coat of sweat. We argued for a while, him telling me what a monster I was, I too scared and in too much pain to do anything except come with stupid replies like "it's not what you think," "You have no right," and "stop, don't." Then, Lex pushed the globe onto one of the crystals and the whole thing started glowing. I fell to the ground in even more agony and he rushed to my side, holding me in his arms.

"I loved you more than anyone else I have ever met, Clark, but it has to end this way. I can't let you keep on hurting everyone. This is my world, not yours. I'm sorry," he said, but he wasn't. "Shhh," Lex whispered, running his fingers through my hair. His body was deceptively gentle, a pat here, a stroke there, an almost loving caress, soft kisses, his sweet breath on the nape of my neck… "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this?" he asked as he finished, his steel gray eyes nearly approaching compassion. Even after everything Lex had done, part of me still loved him and, for a moment, I convinced my self that he felt the same way.

"Lex, Brainiac lied to you. He trapped Kara in the Phantom Zone, but I know how to get her out."

"Silence," he replied coldly.

"You don't have to do this, Lex. There's still good in you; I know it." He stared at me blankly for a moment, and I could have sworn I saw the old Lex, just for an instant, but then he got mad. Luthor's cheeks flushed a deep, furious red. He frowned, gritting his teeth, and then shouted at me.

"I told you to shout up," the bad Lex screamed, picking up a crystal and jamming it into my side. Blood gushed from the wound as he looked on, no more horrified than he would have been after swatting at a mosquito.

XX

I awoke from the dream terrified and in pain but did not call for help. There was no one left to help me. Slowly I pulled down the blanket and looked at my body. Because I was almost constantly in contact with small amounts of Kryptonite (Lex and Fine didn't need to use the rocks, but I could tell they preferred me weak when I wasn't out fighting their battles) I still had a rather large scar from Lex had stabbed me. More than ten years had passed, but I still dreamt of what happened to me in the fortress. Sometimes I had other dreams, even more violent and disturbing than that one. In these dreams I saw the faces of my old friends, Chloe, Lana, Jimmy, Pete, and even Lois, and all of the people I had been forced to kill.

Lex had run for president with Fine as his V.P. Naturally, they won, and that was when they really started to use me. Brainiac was right; only about a hundred thousand people were killed in the various conquests to take control of the planet. He said it was a small number of causalities when compared to Earth's population of six billion. Anyone who spoke out against us was publicly "punished" which was code for, tortured by Milt until I was to put them out of their misery. Because they had me as a weapon, nuclear war never became necessary. In fact, it had been eleven months since anybody had said a negative word about Lex or Fine and two years since Lois had tried to take it a step further.

She was one of the last of the insurgents, and amazingly, Lex, Fine, and I had seemed to have accomplished what no human ever could. There was no more violence, except when it came from the three of us, no poverty, and no hunger.

"We've created a Utopian society," Lex announced one night over dinner. "On a single decade I've managed—excuse me—we have managed, to put an end to every single problem that our people have ever faced," Lex explained over breakfast this morning. I knew better than to say, "That's only because everyone is too afraid of you to do anything other than what you tell them."

"You're absolutely right, Mr. Luthor," Brainiac said with a smile, lifting up a glass of orange juice for a toast. "Kal-el raises your cup. That's it," he cooed, as though I were an infant. "See how much easier this is when you don't fight?"

"Yeah," I whispered, staring at my untouched breakfast plate. "You've practically turned Earth into Krypton, without the enlightenment." _Damn_, I thought, _I didn't mean to say that out loud_. I fully expected to be punished, immediately, but both men only smiled, each of them placing a hand on one of my thighs.

"My sweet, beautiful Kal-el. I would have thought you'd learn to control yourself after all these years. You know what we can do to you, how we can hurt your frail body, and yet we end up having this conversation so often," Fine explained, as though he were a parent and I a wayward child.

"I think I like him better this way," Lex told him, basically ignoring me. They were about to pick my punishment. _God these guys really have become my parents_. "Right after—he just sat there, staring into space. Clark's got some fight in him now, almost like the way he used to be." Both men smiled, nodded, exchanging looks. "Now, what were you saying? It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." I considered responding with, _you guys hurt me all the time_, but held my tongue.

"You think you've created world peace but in reality, all you did was make me kill every single family member of and anyone who stood up to you. This isn't peace; it's fear. Everybody's too scared of me—and him—to do anything even remotely wrong. Kryptonians were good because…"

"Because they had it drilled into them from birth, 'behave yourself or you will be sentenced to a punishment worse than death.' Your father is the one who created the phantom zone, Kal-el. Our people started as warriors, and nearly killed off an entire society until the people in charge decided it would be easier to force everyone to do what they believed was right. We've made Earth more like Krypton than you can possibly imagine." Fine chuckled, standing up with me, holding my body by the shoulders. "Please continue Kal-el. It's been ages since I've had an intellectually stimulating conversation with someone other than Lex.'

"I," suddenly I was at a loss for words. I lowered my eyes to the table, too afraid to try anything. I knew if I did anything to upset them, it would only lead to more pain. He touched my face softly, looking into my eyes for a long time, and slowly his finger grew. He didn't actually hurt me, but I was scared none-the-less.

"That's what I thought," he whispered, softly stroking my cheek. "Incidentally Kal-el, there's something important we would like to share with you. It is time for the final part of my plan. Now that the humans have accepted Kryptonian rule, it's time to bring in our true leader," Brainiac explained.

"Lex, no you can't! Don't listen to him! You saw what Zod did last time! You know what happened! Do you really want to responsible for bringing him back here, and putting everyone through all of that again?" He stood up from the table and hugged me close to him.

"Milt explained everything. We did it wrong last time. It won't be like that now. I'm fully prepared to take responsibility and fulfill my destiny, just as you should be for yours," he explained, one hand on my ass, the other on my face. Naturally I was confused, but couldn't speak. The only question in my mind was _what destiny?_

"You are going to bare Zod's child, Kal-el, provide him with an heir. This way your family will live on forever, even after we're gone. Between your blood and his we shall create the universe's greatest ruler." In that moment I knew that I could never fix things. There had been a million times a long the way where I could have stepped in and stopped them, but mostly it went back to that night at the power plant. If only I had made the right decision, I could have made things okay. And as Lex and fine prepared for Zod's arrival, all I could think about was what might have happened if I'd chosen correctly.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm working on the last chapter of this story and then writing a sequel to chapter two, about Lex, Fine, Zod, Clark, etc a

AN: I'm working on the last chapter of this story and then writing a sequel to chapter two, about Lex, Fine, Zod, Clark, etc and they should both be up pretty soon.

As soon as Milt told me what our options were, I knew what I had to say, but I kept stalling, because it was hard for me to admit to my choice. However, despite all of my arguments, all my fears, all my anxiety, it wasn't difficult to pick. The only thing worse than teaming up with Fine, was surrendering my will to him and Lex. I knew I needed to be careful, had to do everything perfectly, but if I did it exactly right, very few people would have to get hurt, and even fewer would die.

"Let Lana and Chloe and Kara go," I ordered, trying to sound stronger, and more in control than I actually was. "You have to promise never to hurt them or any of my friends ever again, and then I'll join you."

"And Mr. Luthor? What shall we do with him?" he asked, kissing my neck tenderly.

"Don't ever so much as lay a hand on him, or I swear I'll rip you limb from limb." This time I was strong, and brave. When it came to Lex, I always felt hat way. I tried hating him, but no matter how badly he treated me, no matter how bad he screwed up, no matter how much we fought, or who we dated, where we were, I always loved him.

"Well in that case we had better get to the Artic and fast, before he activates the device." I couldn't believe Fine was asking me to take him to my fortress! He chucked, stroking my hair. "What is it, Kal-el?"

"I can't take you with me. The last time we were there together, you almost destroyed the place, trying to bring Zod into this world." I was flustered, mainly because I knew that this plan would eventually bring the Z-man back into play. He kissed my cheek, forehead, nose, lips, chest, stomach, hips, and cock.

"Now, now, my beautiful boy, don't be a fool. Human beings are generally trusting, despite their bouts of apprehension when it comes to politicians and criminals, but the fact that you feel nervous: it is a good thing. That means you're thinking things through."

"Do you have to go with me?" I asked, my fingers digging the soft flesh of his tight, gorgeous ass. "I just…Lex trusts you even less than me. If we go up together—he'll freak out and try to kill me or something."

"I would never allow him to harm you," Brainiac swore, wrapping his arms around me. "There, there Kal-el. I will never allow any of these idiotic, worthless humans to hurt you in any way shape or form. You're too important to me. I love you."

"What could you possibly know about love?" I asked, trying my best not to get mad at him, but at the same time was behaving strongly. I'd never heard him use that word before, except to mock the concept.

"Granted, the concept of staying with a single being out of a faulty sense of loyalty, or responsibility when you have no feelings for them is a ridiculous concept—as are several of the emotions running through your mind, there is something to be said about telling someone when you do feel for them. I care for you. Every time we're together, each time I think of you, or see your face, I feel a certain degree of euphoria."

"This is you being euphoric?" I asked, tauntingly. Milt hugged and held onto me again, as we flew off toward the artic. Technically he flew and I held on, but who really cares. I'll get the flying thing eventually. "You've got to teach me how to do this. It's so cool."

"Cool is an English adjective used to describe the temperature between hot and cold. As used correctly in the sentence, _my food is a bit cool; please reheat it._ Or, _the water temperature is cool, but comfortable. _Your usage makes you sound ignorant."

'And you're a giant, know-it-all jack ass," I snapped, yanking on his hair, even though I knew it wouldn't cause him any pain, or even the tiniest bit of discomfort.

"You're a farm boy, Kal-el. You should know that the work Jackass is another name for donkey. I know it isn't your first language, but if we're going to rule these people, we need to speak intelligently."

"Why? Nobody else does it. Look at the current president!"

"You have to be better than all of them, we all do. That will make us look like the confident and respectable leaders we are. You can't rule and act like a common peasant," he explained, touching me, gently as we landed. "Not well anyway, and not without large numbers of people thinking you are an ignoramus. Now, go in there and talk to Lex. Tell him exactly what I say, and nothing else. Do not deviate from my script."

"I think I know Lex a little bit better than you do," I said, completely unaware of the fact that neither one of us was moving our lips. I knew so much about Fine, and at the same item he was still so much a mystery, like Lex. That was one of the things I liked best about them, the surprises, there were always so many surprises."

"Yes, but as soon as you come within ten feet of Lex Luthor, you turn into a blushing, stuttering, lover struck teenage child with an erection

"So, what do I say? I mean, what do you want me to say to him? What can you come up with that's more brilliant than what I'd think of all on my own?" I wasn't mad at him; it was just hard to imagine anything that would make Lex feel differently than he did when I tried to visit the mansion. Plus now he knew my secret, and how to control me! I was doomed, no matter what, or so I thought.

"You have to trust me, Kal-el," his voice said, but he didn't actually speak. It was like he was broadcasting his thoughts directly into my mind. Milt dropped me off in front of the entrance to the ice palace, as he explained. "The only way Luthor will trust you now, is if you offer yourself up as a gift. Trust me?" I nodded, but didn't move. I was just too scared that I wouldn't be able to talk him out of using me to destroy the world. I was terrified he couldn't be saved. Realizing that your best friend is an alien bent on world domination (in his mind I was) could have been enough to push someone, especially my former lover to the edge. I hated to think of him as a bad, sick, angry person, but that was what he was quickly becoming. "Go inside and say exactly what I tell you." As soon as I entered the room, Luthor turned, glaring at me.

"Well, I must admit, Clark. This is a _big_ step up from the barn," he said, snidely, and fingered the flowing ball, trying to decide whether or not to listen to me or just go for it. I wanted to hug and tell the guy how much I loved him, but Lex was beyond that.

"No, Lex, it's not what you think," I blathered, despite the fact that I thought Brainiac was being stupid. There was no way Lex would believe me if I talked this way. "You don't understand."

"For the first time, I think I do. See, you live among us as a mild-mannered farm boy, but secretly, you're a strange visitor from another planet, plotting our demise. That about right, _Kent_?"

"That's not it at all," I relayed, trying to sound like I was brave and stronger than I felt, and not for the first time that day. I tried to convince Milt that his plan wasn't working. _We should switch tactics,_ I told him.

_Listen to me, Kal0el. I'm reading his mind too, and you are getting to Lex. Now, tell him that when you first met, you were still a teenager, just a kid really. You were frightened, and confused. Jonathan Kent forbid you from confiding in anyone, especially him, which was the most painful thing he ever asked you to do_. I said it all.

"Well, that gets you to college, but your father has been dead for two years, Clark! What were you during that time?" he asked. I started to cry, only a little, and Lex pocketed the globe, momentarily, rushing to my side, hugging me. I held on to him for over a minute, but soon he realized where we were, and what were doing and pushed back, like I had bitten him.

"I was upset—and my mom needed me to—and I sort of blamed you a little for his death, which was and is ridiculous, but I'd just lost a parent. You know what that does to a person, especially when you're young. Then you were with Lana and now, whenever I try to stop by and see you, I get kicked out of the mansion." Lex had this half hurt, half pissed off look on his face, like he was saying_ how dare you put this all on me!_ "I made mistakes, lots of them, we both did. I probably did a lot more damage than you did to me. I don't expect things to go back to the way they were when I was fifteen. I doubt we'll ever be as close as we were, but we have to at least try," Lex thought this over carefully, running a hand over his bald head, then felt around in his pocket, running his fingers over the objects smooth surface. His eyes seemed distant but there was still a glimmer of something there, like maybe he had goodness inside of him somewhere. I kneeled at his side, holding his soft, skinny fingers in my rough, cupped palm.

"How do I know you're not just saying these things out of self-preservation? If you held a gun to my head, I'd probably tell you how sorry I was and beg for another try. I might even tell you I was a changed man if I had to," he said in a cold voice, but toward the end he did seem to falter. I wanted to scram and call Lex a hypocrite. As much as I love him, I was never able to keep myself from yelling at the guy when he did something—or in this case several somethings—wrong.

Milt's voice boomed in my head_, don't do it, Kal-el. He's close, but even the slightest hint of anger, or disagreement will push him back to the other side. Unless you want to lose him, ignore your instincts and do what I say. Now, repeat after me, exactly what I tell you, no adlibbing, or changing it._

"I'm not here to try and stop you from powering up the device. I would appreciate if you didn't, but I won't be mad or sad—or anything if you do. There's so much you can teach me, and so many things I can do for you, help you with. We're—we can be really good for each other. With your guidance and the things I can do…we'd make an amazing team, Lex. I only want to do good, help people, and I know you feel the same way. So, what do you say?" I asked, even though it wasn't on Fine's script. Lex looked me right in the eyes, studied my face, and then put his hands on my shoulders.

_Luthor is thinking that you're lying. He wants proof of your love, loyalty, and feelings. Touch him, hold him. Allow him to make love to you, if you think it will work. Also tell him he may keep the glove and use it if he ever wants to. You can't touch it. No one else can take it now that it's coded to his finger prints. Allowing him to hold your destiny in the palm of his hands for all eternity can make anyone trust you," _Brainiac explained, and outside I saw his long fingers running through his hair.

"I want us to leave before you get sick, but…I also think you should take this with you. That way if you ever think I might b e dangerous, or if you realize that I'm not trust worthy, you can come back here and activate the device, control me. I can't use it, so there's no way for me to stop you if you decide to…" Lex looked me over very carefully, and then touched my hair, and finally his own head.

"But you're a—you…what do I do—how do I…what if I decide to go through with this right now?" he threatened, but I didn't need fine to tell me that Lex wouldn't actually do it.

"Do whatever you think is right," I told him, Milt's suggestion. He told me Luthor was close to making a decision and that I should be quiet so he could finger thing out on his own. After a few minutes, my body was lowered to the cold floor. Lex held me in his arms, and kissed me.

"You won't get cold if I…you know, take these off, will you?" he asked, undoing the button on my jeans, pulling the zipper down, and sliding them off. I turned my head so I could look my lover in the face. "I—this doesn't mean I won't use the device one day," he whispered. Lex made love to me, right there, and when Milt entered the fortress later, we managed to convince Lex to come with us, trust us. Two months later Lex announced he was running for the position of US senate and, of course, won.

In less than ten years, Lex Luthor was a household name. He was the youngest man ever to be elected president of the United States, another landslide. His advisor and most competent ambassador Milton Fine managed to bring nearly all warring countries together in his first term. People said it was because he had a silver tongue, which was—for the most part—true, but he had other ways of getting people to do what he said, not that he would ever actually torture or kill anyone. Soon we were discussing plans for a united world government.

"Theoretically, each individual nation would maintain some of it's independence," Milt explained to us one morning, as though he'd clearly been going over the idea for awhile, in his head. "But we'd work together, the way that congress or the English parliament does. Every country has representation, as well as the protection of the world's best armies, food jobs, clean running water, school systems, and—of course, there would be a position, a person, a leader, to oversee everything."

"So I'd—I mean, this person, would be the president of the whole world—or something roughly equivalent to that?" Lex asked, obviously more than a little bit intrigued. It certainly sounded like a good idea, especially in comparison to the plan Brainiac started with, when we all first got together, mostly because it was peaceful. If we were lucky,--and good at what we do—nobody would have to die. "How would someone go about being—elected? Into this position?" He was clearly excited about this, interested, but he was trying to play it straight.

"You'll be appointed, and the job is for life," Fine chuckled, reaching over and tussling m hair, "Kal-el there is no need to fret. I told you about this, years ago. You understand, don't you? Lex is the only human fit to rule the rest of them. We can do this one of two was. The first, you, Lex, and I can go around concurring nations like the Romans, the two of us killing anyone who steps out of line, or we can create a new world, a better one."

Of course I understood his plan, and wasn't really all to upset about it, but I wanted to start a small fight, because it would make him mad, and angry sex was so much better than regular—not that our sex life wasn't mind blowing already—and we hadn't had a big fight in over a year.

"I know what's going on here," Lex said, with a little laugh. "Kal-el is trying to get us to fight with him. Isn't that right, Smallville?" Lex knew how much I hated the nickname Lois had given me when we were kids, and was using it to get to me; but unfortunately, he wasn't very good at it. If he had called me Smallville over and over, even after I told him to stop, then I might have gotten a little angry, but saying it once would be the same as if he pinched me, one time. "This isn't working, is it?" he asked, and I shook my head. Fine, who had gotten up to get another cup of coffee, rushed across the room, grabbed me by the shoulders, slammed me into the wall, and started grinding against me, angrily, a disgusted look plastered to his face.

"You pathetic, do-gooder," he spat bashing my head into the plaster, again, leaving a good sized dent. I smiled, leaning in, to kiss Milt, who slapped me. "This is what you want right?" he asked, clutching my shirt between his fists. I nodded, and looked over at Lex, who seemed both shocked and into it at the same time. "Now, if we're going to do this, I could hurt you very easily. If you want me to stop, say pinwheel. Got that?"

"Pinwheel," I repeated the word, not to make him stop, but to be sure I had it right. Lex and Milt pushed me down on the kitchen floor and they both fucked me senseless. First Fine pushed me onto my hands and knees, then kneeled behind me, pushing his cock into me, while Lex stood above my body, pulling my head and mouth up to his cock. The three of us went at it all morning, and I know I came harder than I had ever before, Lex too. Naturally, being the president of the United States of America, Lex had to leave shortly after that and was busy all day. So, we weren't able to make love again until he got home that night—I still hadn't gotten completely used to not being able to see him whenever I wanted. When he entered the bedroom later, I tackled my husband, and we wrestled around for a little while, me eventually giving in and allowing him control. He, Fine, and I fucked twice more, and then we all collapsed on the king-sized bed, lying underneath puddles of lavender-colored sheets, our naked, sweaty bodies clumped together in a tangle of arms, and legs. I gently traced circles around Lex's inner thigh.

"Easy there, Flannel boy, you don't wanna get me started again." I chuckled, burying my face n the soft, sweet skin of his neck and smiled wider than I ever could have, even if I'd married Lana Lang. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is perfect," I whispered, kissing him any place my lips could reach. "I love you so much, Lex." I saw him smile, his soft grey eyes lighting up like a Christmas tree. "And you, Milt, I know how you feel about it, but I love you too." Fine wrapped his arms around my waist, kissed my hair, and sighed happily.

"You know, Kal-el, over the years, I've come to accept my feelings for you, to embrace them, even, and while I still believe, generally speaking, that love is a vacuous and silly word which is remarkably overused by human beings as a while, I cannot help but find myself fining rather affectionate towards my beautiful, blue-eyed, angel."

"So, you do love me after all?"

"And if I ever hear those words repeated, I'll bash your darling little skull in." I was pretty sure he didn't really mean it. I looked at my two lovers, and lay back smiling. What I realized was that I wasn't living the life I had expected, and planned for, not even close to it, and yet I was happy here. With Lex and Milt and me living like kings, ("ruling with a gentle hand," as the called it, helping people, making them safe, healthy, happy, and educated) I was happy. I loved my life, and I loved them and the thought that there might really be such a thing as happily ever after, after all.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're a slave to these people who

AN: final chapter of this story, but be prepared for Zod Returns, probably coming up sometime later this week. This one's a bit AU, and OOC, and I gave Brainiac powers that he doesn't actually have because I thought they would be cool and are needed for the story. Also I didn't kill off the Alexander part of Lex's personality.

"If you want to be free;  
then I want you to be.  
You're not mine anymore.  
You're public property.  
You're a slave to these people, who  
don't even know you.  
You think they adore you, they do.  
Then they throw you away" Ben Folds

1.

"I love Lex, but I can't work with the man," I explained as Fine and I lay together on a twisted up pile of wires, sparks shooting off all around us. "He's gone really, really bad... I don't know if it had to do with him killing his father, or just everything, but almost ever last bit of innocence and sweetness is gone. There's still that other personality, Alexander—the good part of him, but Lex has taken control. That part of him is pure evil. I can't let him control me for the same reason I can't join him; in the end he's going t force me to murder everybody I've ever cared about, and millions of other innocent strangers." I knew Milt would say something like; no one on this planet is innocent. "He isn't going to be happy until he has absolute power and the respect, or ear of the entire world. He'll probably blow us all up—except for the best and brightest, and try to start all over gain. And, yet, I still can't bring myself to kill him, either," I told him.

Fine sat up, patted me between the shoulders, and nodded, as though he were listening sympathetic. "He's still a person; with feelings and right now all he can think about is how many times I've hurt him, betrayed his trust, lied to him, and if I know Lex, he thinks he's saving the world from invading forces. He thinks I'm out to take over the world. Because he sees it that way, he assumes everyone else does too, but we don't. I don't. I just wish I could show him that I love him like nobody ever did, take care of him, make up for the pain Lionel caused him, make Lex a good man, the kind of man I'd be proud to be associated with. I wish there were some way he could forget all about all of this traveler nonsense and go back to the way things were right after he broke up with Lana and she and Lois moved in together." Milt rubbed my back and held me for what seemed like an eternity before either one of us said anything. I had started to cry, tears fell from my face, down onto the front of his shirt, and snot went everywhere. I guess that's real love; when the other person doesn't care if you get snot all over them, and all they care about is comforting you. Fine kissed my cheeks, wiping the tears away, and made soft shushing sounds.

"Kal-el, there's only so much that you can do for Luthor. He has to want your help, otherwise, it won't work. Lex is going to end up resenting you for picking on him, and you are going to hate him for not trying hard enough."

"What are you, Dr. Phil or something?" I asked, suppressing a giggle. Milt smiled, tickling me a little, and then he enveloped me in a big, tight hug. "Dr. Phil is a, uh—a doctor, a psychologist—"

"Kal-el, you know with whom you are speaking, do you not?" I nodded. "I was programmed to take in information, process and retain it. Simply stated, I know everything there is to know, and anything I do not know, I learn immediately."

"If I threw a football straight up in the air, with all my strength, as hard as I possibly could, how far would it go?"

"Don't be a brat, Kal-el. It's obnoxious, he said, still smiling. "Alright. It's a fairly difficult equation to calculate, because there are several factors weighing in. Would you be satisfied to know that it would break through the Earth's atmosphere and head to outer space?"

"Yeah, that's all I really wanted to know any way." At least three minutes went by before II said anything else. "Is there anything we can do about Lex, I mean, is there anything we can do for him?"

"There is one possible solution, but it won't be easy, and I can only do this one time. To put it in layman's terms, as you would say, I'd go into Luthor's mind, and remove any and all memories relating to the traveler. He won't even know that—I know what Lex's father did to him at that institution, and how much it would hurt you to inflict that same torture on your friend as Lionel did That's why I didn't bring it up before." He kissed my face again, soft and gentle.

"Tell me," I said, trying to sound stronger than I actually felt. He was right, naturally. The last thing Lex needed was to have his brain zapped again. Just thinking about it brought up in my mind the images of Lex in Belle Reeve helpless, scared, lost, sad, confused, betrayed, and hurt. I could see him looking at me like I was his savior, and then the crushing blow, like I'd hit him when I said I wouldn't help him escape. I saw Lionel, that evil bastard, standing over the shell of a man that he had turned his son into, his pants stretched tight over the crotch. I had run away upon seeing the horror-struck childlike look on Lex's face, even though I knew what was about to happen to him. I was too afraid, too young to stop it, and I didn't know what to do.

So, I ran, and Lex suffered because of it. I hated myself for leaving my best friend all alone with that monster, but what could I have done? The only way to stop him would have been to expose myself, and my abilities to Lionel, and in front of a security camera. My mom told me later, that even if I could have saved him that time, I probably would have ended up in a lab somewhere, being tortured, vivisected, and Lex still wouldn't be safe. I saw him later, unconscious on that torture table. "Lex, Son," his father said in an eerily comforting voice. "It's over. It's over." I saw me and him standing in his office, Lex smiling and hugging me, like nothing had happened. _There is one thing I'll never forget, Clark. How much our friendship means to me. _

I'm pretty sure that was the last time either one of us completely trusted the other. A month later I found that room, and swore I'd never speak to him again, but almost as soon as Jor-el allowed me to of the cave wall, Lex had been so desperate for my forgiveness, that he promised to stop investigating me. He handed over his files, which didn't actually have anything in them, and begged for a second chance. Over the next two years, Lex messed up more times that I could count. He always asked for another chance, and I always gave it to him.

Then, one day, he stopped apologizing. At first I let it slide. After all, I was hiding so many things from him. Who could blame the guy for trying to figure out what was happening all around him. Some time after that, I stopped forgiving him. And that was when things went from bad to worse. Eventually he grew to hate me, and I hated—well I didn't hate him, but I did hate what he had become.

"Can you just erase the part where he found out that I'm the Traveler, and then, set up a way—destroy the device or lose it or something so that he can't use it, if he ever did remember?"

"Kal-el, listen to me. Lex Luthor is beyond repair. There's nothing you can do for him now. I understand it is difficult to hear, but the Lex you know and love is gone. He can't be saved, or fixed, or whatever it is you think you can do. Get rid of him now, before it's too late. It's your only choice."

"You don't know that!" I cried, standing up to run away. Milt grabbed me by the arm, spinning my body around, hugging me tight, and refused to let go.

"Unfortunately, Kal-el, I do know that."

"No," I sobbed. "I can't do what you're asking. You want me to kill a man, in cold blood? I still love Lex, and deep down inside, he still loves me." Fine looked like he was about to say, no he doesn't, but at the last minute changed his mind.

"Even if that were true, you would need to spend years, showing him your love, supporting him, helping him learn to be _good_, and at the same time, you would be lying to him, about everything. He will find out, eventually, and when he does, one of you will end up dead, and to be honest, I don't like your odds in that particular situation."

"But I can do it! I love Lex. I'll take care of him. I can treat him better than Lionel did, better than anyone did. I can make up for what his dad did. I saw what it was like in his mind. I can't let the bad guy take over forever." Milt said nothing, but I knew what he was thinking, because it was in the back of my mind to. _You won't be enough. It's too late. _I was crying again, sobbing hysterically, and he just held me, loving, non-judgmentally, calmly. "I have to try. Please, just let me try. If I can't help him, if I can't do it, you have t promise not to hurt him. You have to promise he won't be scared when you—and it won't hurt, not even for a half of a half of a second. If you hurt him, I swear to God…"

"He won't feel a thing. He won't even know what happened to him. I promise." Sometimes I wondered just how evil he really was, or if my influence had softened him up around the edges. "I will also erase only the pieces regarding the device sent here to control you. It will be just enough to keep you from harm. Everything else is no responsibility of mine. I will keep a close watch on Luthor and you at all times. This world is headed for a fate worse than Krypton's, Kal-el, but you can save them, as long as he doesn't kill you, our last remaining citizen."

"What about Kara?"

"I don't think I can get her back, nor right away, and even if I do, she's not like you. She's not as strong, or bright, and she is not as kind-hearted. You will be their savior, Kal-el, all of them. Not just Luthor. That's what I worry about most."

"Stop it. I get it. You worry about me waiting all of my energy on a lost cause. You think Lex is too far gone for me to be able to do anything for, and that I'm going to burn out. Well, it's not going to happen!"

"I'll take you to him now, alright?" Milt asked, carefully lifting me up, and wrapping his arms around my midsection. "I won't hurt him. It's going to be fine. Everything will work out eventually." I couldn't ask what I was thinking at that moment. _What if I only make him worse_? "You can not let yourself think those things. When I'm finished, Lex is going to pass out, and when he wakes up, he's going to confused, and at home, in bed, with no memory of how he got there. Lex is going to be frightened. You must be strong, for him. He can not see you like this. It will only make him more afraid. Be strong, and have a good cover story to comfort him; take good care of him Kal-el. He's your responsibility." I nodded, holding on tight, my face pressed into his shoulder, eyes squeezed shut, and prayed for a miracle.

When we got to the fortress, Milt told me to wait outside, as he shape-shifted into Kara's form, and went in to talk to Lex. Suddenly they were kissing, and then Lex fell into Fine's arms. The three of us were at the mansion within seconds, and then I was alone with an unconscious Lex. Milt said he destroyed the device.

"Luthor's memory only goes up to the night his father died. He told me things about what happened afterwards, and it seems as though the more dominant part of his personality took over after that day. You were correct, Kal-el. There is still some good in him, but the part you saw, the kind, gentle, sweet, loving Lex is weak, and frightened. I also altered his body slightly, so it would seem as though he's been sick for a while, with a high fever. That's why every event which transpired between then and now seems hazy and strange. Remember, I will always be near, and you need my help, just call out to me."

"I won't let you kill him, not even if it costs me my life," I said, as he flew off. I hated that we left things on slightly bad terms, but it needed to be said. No matter how many terrible things Lex did, no matter who he hurt, or killed, no matter how much we fought, or how hard the bad Lex tried to take over—and even if that part managed to take over completely, and some how "kill" the Alexander part of him, I knew I would always love and protect him. We were soul mates, he just needed to realize that I was on his side (that I was here to help people) so that he could trust me, and I could trust him enough to tell him everything. "I love you," I whispered, and as if we were in a movie, his eyes slowly opened, and the man I loved looked about the room, in confusion.

"How did I get here? What's happening? What—where—why—Clark? What the Hell are you doing here? How much—was I, sick? I feel like I've been sick, but I haven't—I never get sick. It-I'm. What's happening to me, Clark?" A familiar and sweet sounding voice asked, as though he were on the verge of tears. _I knew you were still in there_, I thought.

"I came to check up on you the night Lionel died. I thought you might feel like talking to someone who understands how it feels to lose a—any way, when I got here you were laying on the floor, sweating, and sort of greenish. It was really bad for a while. I called my mom, and she told me what to do. Since then, I've been taking care of you ever since."

"He's dead?" Alexander's trembling voice made it sound like he was almost afraid to say those words, but it took a long time for the news to fully set in. When it did, he began to make soft sobbing sounds. "I think we did something bad," he whispered later, looking up at me like he was going to get into trouble if I knew the truth.

"It wasn't your fault, and everyone thinks it was an accident. I don't blame you, and nobody else knows what _he_ did." He hugged me, and I saw that smile on his face again, "I'd really like to stay here, so we can be friends again."

"_He_ doesn't like you very much, but I think he misses you once in a while."

"I think I can help him be more like you—I mean. I want everything to be like it used to. I screwed up, expected him to be like me. I forgot you guys were raised by Lionel, and didn't understand the trust problem. I kept things from you guys, lied. It makes sense that you reacted the way you did. I blew everything out of proportion, and I'm sorry. It won't happen again." I had been practicing what to say ever since I found out I'd be seeing him again, but it still sounded stupid, and not at all like my words. It was almost exactly how I felt, and yet I couldn't think of a good way to make the words match the feelings. While I was talking to him, I noticed Lex's facial features changing, his eyes getting dark, angry, and I knew what was happening. "I, um, how much of that did you here?"

"All of it, not that any of what you said matters. You think you can just tell me how sorry you are, and make up for all the names you called me, or the lies, or the things you did to me! What is wrong with you?"

"Of course I don't think I can just magically fix everything," I tried to explain, but he wasn't having it. Lex pushed me down; and I let him. Kicked me, and I cushioned the blow so he wouldn't break all the bones in his fee, played at being injured, and tried to make him feel better. "I'm sorry. I wanna try again. Please give me another chance. How many times did you ask me the exact same thing? Come on, Lex."

"No more lies?" he asked, and for an instant, I almost thought he believed me. "Clark, this isn't going to be easy. We're both going to have to work our asses off. Are you _really_ willing to do that for me? Do you really care? Or is this just another fling?'

"I never wanted to break up. I love you. It just—we didn't always agree on everything, and I let that get in the way of my other feelings." I paused, watching him, cautiously. I didn't want to promise to never lie again, because that would already be one, but I knew that if I didn't make the promise, he'd never give me a chance. "Okay, Lex. No more lies. We've both made mistakes, and I don't blame you for not trusting me when I wasn't being honest with you."

"You'd think with all the money I threw into those investigations, I'd have figured out what you were really hiding a long time ago." Lex laughed a little, but he wasn't happy. I sighed, hugging him.

"I have meteor abilities. I'm strong—really, really, really strong, and for a long time I didn't even know why or what was happening to me. It was terrifying. So I hid it, from you, from Lana, from my friends, even from my parents for a while." I hated that the lie came so quickly and easily, but it explained absolutely everything, and Lex believed me.

2.

We spent the next few months learning to 'trust' each other again, and almost a year went by before Lex allowed me to move into the mansion, but after that, things seemed to get a lot better. Soon, we were married, I was working at the Daily Planet—go figure—and our lives stabilized a lot.

Lex and I got up every morning, ate breakfast together, made love, and then went to work. We came home at night, talked about our days, at e dinner, and then we always did something in the evenings, like go for a drive in the country, stargaze with the huge, ridiculously expensive telescope he'd gotten me, ride horses, play pool, or just stay in bed and fuck until we passed out. A few years after that night with Brainiac, Lex forgot about trying to control the Traveler all together, and while the angry, I'll kill anything that gets in my ay, part of him had mellowed; he was still very much his father's son.

Lex wasn't satisfied to simply be rich and powerful. He had to be the best, the richest, the most powerful person on Earth. We sometimes joked that he would one day led an army from country to country and create a modern day Roman Empire, but every so often I wonder if it real was just a joke.

Ten years after we had gotten together, my biggest concern was no longer whether or not I could save him, make him a happy, healthy, normal person (I knew I would never be able to do that). Now my worries were more focused on preventing Lex from committing crimes and making sure he never figured out that Superman and I were one in the same. When I started to put on the cape and run around all day and all night our schedules changed once more, although not by much. My work hours were erratic, and so did our lives. A standard day went something like this.

3:00: A massive fire breaks out in Pittsburg.

7:00: breakfast with Lex

8:45: morning meeting at the office

11:00: bank robbery down town

1:57: my article is due in three minutes, so I practically set the keyboard on fire, trying to finish in time.

4:00: the evening edition of the paper is sent to bed

6:30: dinner with Lex

7:15: he excuses himself to do some "work stuff"

8:00: Superman shows up just in time to keep Luthor from nuking half of California into the ocean

9:00: Lex complains about Superman to me, and I listen, trying to convince him that he can beat the alien by being a bigger man, and turning over a new leaf. "He'd never see it coming, Lex, and—just think of what you could do if you put your mind towards saving mankind rather than destroying Superman." He laughed at me, his eyes studying my every expression.

"Why is it that filthy creature talks to you, Clark? I mean, Hell, you're a fantastic reporter, but you're not the best. What did he do, open up the Daily Planet, close his eyes, and point to a random journalist?"

"As hard as it is to believe, we have a lot in common. We're both orphans, do-gooders, loaners, and he and I both worry about you. He thinks you have an enormous amount of potential. You could be humanitarian of the century, the best president ever, anything you wanted, and he wouldn't be able to stop you because you were doing good things."

"Riding the world of that sick, alien invader is the best thing I can do for everybody. For all we know, Krypton still exists, and is full of more "supermen," just waiting to enslave us all, take over the planet Earth."

"Lex, you know the coordinate of where it used to be. You've researched it, seen it through our telescope. That place blew up. The pieces fell to Earth during the Smallville meteor shower when we were kids. The rocks that are left over from that can kill him, hurt him. How do you explain that?"

"For all intensive purposes, New Orleans sank, the whole city flooded. It was destroyed, and people couldn't live there for the longest time. And yet, there were hundreds of thousands of people who had lived there who relocated some place else."

"So they moved everyone away from their homes, blew the place up, and sent Kal-el, Superman, here to see how we react to Kryptonians, and then they're gonna take over Earth, because…why?" He laughed at me, waving a hand in front of his face, as if to say, _enough_. Things were never exactly the same, but that was usually the gist of it. I think part of me knew I didn't have a chance, but I wouldn't—couldn't—give up on him. "Promise me you won't kill him," I aid one night. "It doesn't matter to me, if he lives or dies, but…everyone would know it was Lex Luthor, and either they'd send you to jail or someone else would avenge him. Then, I'd be all alone."

It was a horrible, horrible thing for e to say to him, and really selfish, but I was worried, more for his safety, and mental health, more than for my own life. I knew he would eventually figure out the truth about me, and it would shatter hi, but if Lex murdered Superman, not realizing that it was me, it would kill him. Lex made that face, when I asked him this, but he nodded anyway.

"Have you slept with him? Is that why you're so defensive of this thing?" _Lex, I __**am**__ Superman. I've been wanting to tell you for years but I knew you'd hate me, if you ever figured it out. Please forgive me, and don't pull out a hunk of meteor rock._

"No, Lex, I've never even hugged Superman. It's you that I'm thinking of. I'm married to man with vast, unlimited potential, and all he ever does is fight with a superhero, and try to take over the world. You could do anything you wanted it you just set your mind to it, and be a good guy." He shrugged, and then kissed me, possessively a few times, before we had rough, sweaty, angry sex.

3.

The next day was when I made my mistake. I overheard him on the phone with somebody and realized that he was planning to stage a hostage situation at Luthorcorp and talk the guy down (to distract everyone while he was secretly having a man associated—a man who just happened to be running against Lex in the presidential primaries, and winning. Naturally, superman notified the other candidate's security team, alerted the police, and got to Luthorcorp plaza just in time to stop the "bad guys" from taking Lex hostage. When the cops were gone, Lex invited Superman—me—into his office to talk.

"How is it you just happened to be passing by my office at the exact moment that some guy was going to try and kidnap me?' he asked, sitting down behind his desk. "I know all about you, alien. Think you can come into my city unnoticed and I'd just leave you be."

"This is my city too, Luthor. I fly over the streets, listen to people's conversations, listen for someone asking for help, or when illegal activities are mentioned. Then, I swoop down, take care of people's problems, put out fires, stop bad men from hurting innocent civilians, take cats out of trees, all kinds of stuff. Today I heard one man disgusting an attempt on Senator Goodman's life, informed the police and had him arrested. That man is being questioned by the cops as we speak. You know who Good man is right—I'm sorry, of course you know the man, he's running against you in the republican primaries. While I was taking care of him, I overheard another man plotting to try and do something with you. Wow, there's a bit of a coincidence there, huh? I wonder what the odds are that two different sets of people would try and harm both of you in the same afternoon, at almost the exact same time."

"Alright, you alien scumbag, I've been polite long enough. Get the Hell out of my office!" Lex shouted, and I guess I must have made an expression, or a face, one he recognized, and I watched helplessly as the man I loved reached up, running a hand over his bald head. "How exactly did you—what exactly...I, um. This is strange, but all of the sudden, I've gotten the feeling. You remind me of someone."

"Let me guess, a young Virgil Swann, you know, before the wheelchair. I get that a lot. For some reason people keep telling me I look like him. No? Well who then?' Lex shrugged. _Hmm?_ "You said I remind you of someone, who?'

"Nevermind, I don't see it any more," he said, waving his hand dismissively. So, I left, and stood on the street, watching as he read, and re-read a daily planet article I'd written on Superman, concentrating. Then he drew slacks and a jacket over the uniform.

He'd figured it out, I was positive then. It was just like I always feared. I saw Lex in his laboratory, with tears streaming down my face, as he melted down a hunk of Kryptonite, and poured it into a molding for a bullet.

"He's going to kill me," I whispered, mostly to myself, knowing that Milt would hear those words, and fly down to the street to come and rescue me.

"I warned you this would happen, Kal-el. I'm impressed, though. I never though Lex Luthor would go this long without learning the truth, without figuring out your secret."

"Couldn't you just erase today from his...couldn't you just do what you did last time?" I asked, but already knew the answer. Milt told me the fist time, a human brain couldn't handle having the procedure done more than once. "So now what? I don't know what to do. Part of me still thinks I can talk to him, change his mind, and convince him I'm not — maybe he won't hurt me."

"He is going to murder you, Kal-el. There just isn't anything we can do to stop it, except—the only question now," he whispered, slipping my trembling body into his strong arms. I sobbed into Fine's chest, silently. "Is whether you want to go up there alone, or with me?"

"I got myself into this mess. I'll take care of it. I'm just gonna go up there and—I dunno. I'll do something. Maybe I deserve to die. I mean, look at—Lex is right. All I do is lie to people. He isn't doing it right either, but I don't have all the answers. I don't have any of them. I—I've gotta do something. I can still do something for him. I love Lex that should be enough."

"It should be enough, Kal-el, but sadly, Luthor doesn't…in this situation, it's not enough. Two people will go into that room, but only one of you will make it out. You have to kill him, or he is going to do the same. And the world needs superman. They need a hero, someone to do the things they can not."

"And to take over the world," I said in a little, snippy voice. "That's all you're really worried aobut, isn't it? Your stupid little plan to bring Krypton and General Zod to Earth? You can't do it on your own, I'm the key!"

"Kal-el," he tried to calm me down, even patting me on the back slowly rubbing and massaging my shoulders, running his long, slender fingers through my hair. "Stop staling. This is going to be one of the most—if not the most—difficult things you will ever do but it must be done. If you prefer, I could…"

"No," I practically whispered, cutting him off. "You're right. Lex is my responsibility." Dressed as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter, I entered the office, said hi to the security guard in the lobby, and road the elevator to Lex's floor. Lex had the phone in his hand when I got off, but he seemed to dialing a number to talking yet. My cell phone rang and buzzed in my pocket. "I'm right outside the door," I explained, as I answered. "I had a feeling we need to talk," I lied, badly. He watched the door suspiciously, then got up, opened it, and ushered me inside. He hugged me, wrapping his arms around my waist, tightly, and started to kiss everywhere on my face, ears, and neck. I kissed back, confused, looking round the room, trying to find the gun/figure out what he was planning, or trying to do. Slowly his hand traveled down to my belt, pulled on the buckle, popped it open.

"Lex, wait," I called out, but his hands were already inside my pants, and he was pulling at the fabric of my Superman uniform, and staring at me with that hateful look. "I can explain, please."

"I always knew you were hiding something from me, but I never would have suspected that you were him! Traitor, alien, scumbag, and all the while—we were—you—I mean, I had my suspicious after this afternoon, but I didn't want, I couldn't believe it." Lex got very quiet then, stepped away from me, walking over to his desk, and reached into a drawer, and pulled out a gun.

4.

"Lex, what are you doing?" I asked, hoping that I would be able to calm him down, sooth my love, and not have to kill him. The gun was really, really scaring me, mostly because I knew he was going t to put the Kryptonite bullet in it, and I couldn't stop that.

"You see this?" he asked, holding up the green cylinder, and opening the revolver's chamber. "We're gonna play a little game here. One round in the gun, just like Russian roulette. First person puts the gun to their temple, then they squeeze the trigger. If you die, the game is over. If you live, the next person takes their person. Last one alive win."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just shoot me and get this whole thing over with?" I asked, chuckling, and trying to pretend it was all a big joke. "Lex," can't we talk about," he cut me off by squeezing the trigger. "Please" I begged.

"Either you pull this back yourself, or I do it for you," he ordered, handing the gun over. I tried to x-ray it, but couldn't see anything. The whole thing was warm and the room smelled of burnt powder. I could feel tears on my cheeks. "It's made of lead, you disgusting monster. A million thoughts went racing through my mind. _I have to make him stop. I can't do this. What if Lex dies? What if I die? How did we get to this point? Why didn't I fix our relationship sooner? How could I keep lying? I spent my whole life lying to someone I love, how is that even possible. Lex deserved so much better than me. I could have fixed him. Why didn't I love him, treat him better, tell him the truth? _

I pressed the warm, metal muzzle to my temple and repeated the process in the exact same order that Lex had before me, except that I was crying. The gun clicked. "Two down, six to go."

"I love you," I told him, desperately, stepping closer to the man, trying to reach out and hold his hands. Lex slapped it away. "Please, Lex. I love you so much. Let me just make this better. Let me help you."

"You aren't capable of feeling human emotions, you filthy animal. You're a monster. Now shut up and hand back my gun. "Lex's voice and hands were steady but his legs were shaking under the desk. He pulled the trigger again. Still nothing happened, except our chances got worse.

"But I do love. You're all I ever think of. I wanted to tell you the truth a million times. I wanted—you always hated him so much, and he is me so I, sort of…it was hard. It was so hard."

"There has been—there were plenty of opportunities to talk before now. You could have come to me, told me the truth, and maybe, if the time had been right, we could have worked things out. That opportunity passed us b ya long, long time ago. Take your turn." I did. "How long have we known each other, Clark?" Lex asked, spinning his char around, to face the window.

"I uh—we met when I was in high school, my freshman year. I was fourteen then. Now I'm thirty. So, sixteen years. Almost sixteen years." I heard the gun click again, and used my x-ray vision to check on him. Luthor's hand was shaking a little, and he was breathing sharply, trying not to cry.

"How did you lie to someone for sixteen years? Your best friend no less, your lover! I'm serious, here _Kal-el_. What kind of a villain sleeps with somebody, says 'I love you' everyday, while simultaneously hiding their true nature, their background, everything?"

"It was incredible difficult. I cried about it so often. I hurt, and I hate lying to you, but it was never a good time to talk. It's not that I wanted to keep hiding things, but I was so scared. I figured you might do something crazy like shoot me. Lex, I get it. What I did was terrible. I should have told you the truth the day we met, or as soon after as I could, and I'm sorry. I love you. Please, stop this. We can talk. Let's talk for a while, and if you still feel the same way, I won't try and stop it. Come on, Lex, how many chances have I given you? How many Mulligans have you asked for? Let me have another chance." I watched him wipe his face before turning around again, and considered trying to hug him one last time, but decided against it. _He's really upset_, I thought_, who knows what might happen if I touch him_.

"Your turn, Clark-e," he said in a flat, emotionless voice. I picked up the gun, but didn't actually use it. "Scared, are you? We must be getting close to that bullet now, aren't we? I've given _you_ just as many chances as you've given me. This is it! We're finished." I felt physically stick, my stomach lurched. My eyes welled up, and there was this steady pain in my chest, my heart hurt, my head hurt. I ached all over, and it had nothing to do with the Kryptonite. I closed my eyes really tight, and pulled the trigger. There was nothing left to do but wait and pray I would be the one to die, not him. _Click_. We had gone through six turns, which meant there were two left; we each had a fifty-fifty shot. One 'winner,' one loser, and the whole thing would be decided based on what happened when Lex pulled the trigger. There were plenty of things I could have said, should have said, but nothing came to mind. So, as I watched the man I loved more than anything in the world shoot himself, I kept my mouth completely shut, and when nothing happened, I took the gun, placed it in my mouth, and squeezed.

At first I thought I had died and gone to Hell, where I would be forced to relive all of the worst moments of my life over and over again, starting with Lex and me, our final break up, but then he walked right up to my side, kissed me on the lips, once, slowly, like he was saying goodbye, heading off for work the way he did every morning. I opened the chamber of the gun and looked inside.

"You never put the bullet in, did you?" I stammered, completely shocked. Lex shook his head, walked away, sat down, and switched off the lamp on his desk. Sitting there in the darkness, illuminated from be hind by the city lights, I couldn't help but notice just how different Lex looked down in comparison to when we first met. _He's not the same man anymore_, I thought at first. _No, he's the same. Luthor was always like this, he just hid it better. _ This thought was only slightly more comforting than the idea that I had completely failed him.

"No, I loaded the gun, was all set to kill you, but while you were pleading for your pathetic life, I realized something. A worthy adversary only comes around once in a lifetime and it wasn't right for me to shoot you here, like this." I wasn't really sure what he meant, but knew Lex would soon explain everything. "I took the bullet out after my back was turned. It would have been your shot by the way."

"So you saved my life, because you hate me and everything that I stand for, and you still want to destroy everything and everyone that I love, or care about?" I asked, looking down at him sadly, trying not cry, trying to understand.

"Something like that. Don't get any ideas, Clark. We're still done. You're my arch-nemesis, and I'm yours. We fuel each other, need each other, but not in the same way as before. Now get the fuck out of here before I change my mind!" I stepped out of the office and stood in the hall for nearly and hour. We both cried me more than him, and I watched as Lex picked up, threw away, and rescued a photograph of the two of us half a dozen times before deciding to leave it on its original spot on his desk.

As bad as I felt over the end of our marriage, I couldn't help smiling. I had been right all along. There was good in Lex Luthor, not much, but just enough for us to be able to keep going forever. And, when you think about it, the line between best friend and worst enemy is pretty thin. Maybe we weren't meant to be a couple, but we were meant to be together, and in the end, isn't that the only thing that matters?


End file.
